Other Alternative Treatments
Acetyl-L-carnitine
Alzheimer's disease is associated with decreased levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain. A key ingredient of acetylcholine is the amino acid choline. But for reasons that remain unclear, choline supplementation has little effect on Alzheimer's progression.
However, another combination of amino acids -- a supplemental nutrient called acetyl-L-carnitine, or carnitine for short -- has shown some promise. Carnitine is composed of two amino acids, lysine and methionine. Studies have shown that carnitine slows cognitive deterioration in people with Alzheimer's disease.
In a 1991 Italian study, researchers divided 130 people with Alzheimer's into two groups. One group took a placebo; the other, a daily dose of 2,000 mg of carnitine. After one year, both groups showed cognitive deterioration, but those taking carnitine showed significantly less decline in memory, logic, verbal skills, and attention to tasks.
In 1992, Mary Sano, Ph.D., of the Neurological Institute in New York City, treated 30 people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease with either a placebo or acetyl-L-carnitine (2.5 g per day for three months, then 3 g/day for three months). At six months, compared with the placebo-takers, the carnitine group showed significantly less cognitive deterioration.
More recently, in a 1995 study, University of Pittsburgh researchers divided 12 people with Alzheimer's into two groups. Five received a placebo, while seven took 3,000 mg of carnitine daily for one year. Compared with the placebo group, those taking carnitine showed significantly less mental deterioration based on the Mini-Mental Status test and the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale.